Saturday Creativity

Today I'm circling back to think about my creative projects. I'm working on a nice variety of artwork right now: Drawing motifs from nature for my book, sewing a Coat of Many Earth Colors, making butterfly hangers with my grandson, and stenciling earth posters to give away.

Agenda:
1. Read "Creativity Takes Courage"
2. Evaluate my creativity habits

3. Do the smallest thing

1. Read "Creativity Takes Courage":

I'm reading this beautiful little book by Irene Smit and Astrid van Der Hulse (2018) with the subtitle of Dare to Think Differently. Every page is a work of art.

Chapter 5 is Dare to Commit. They talk about taking small daily steps to complete a big project, a method that really works, but only if you really take the steps! They suggest a 365-day creativity challenge, committing to one daily action. 

I've always liked this IDEA, but think I would get bored and quit... defeated before I begin. But here is one idea I might be able to commit to: Take a photo everyday on the theme of Knowing my Neighbors, and post it. Choose one per week to draw for my motif collection.

2. Evaluate my creativity habits:

Once a week I try to take stock of my creative habits: 

Have I launched into a large creative project, one worth exhausting myself on, and if not, why? 

Have I constructed a schedule for my creative work and am I keeping to it? 

Do I set goals at the beginning of each week? 

Do I have a daily routine that that supports my creative efforts?

Journal: I did better this week on actual artwork. I sewed more on my Coat of Many Earth Colors, and I drew a butterfly (pen and colored pencil). Also sewed with Artie! 

If I could make one new motif drawing each week, I'd be happy.

3. Do the smallest thing:

Eric Maisel has many suggestions for managing creative anxiety. Doing the smallest thing is a great way to make courageous creative work less frightening. In "The Sweet Spot", Christine Carter suggests finding the "minimum effective dose", the amount of work that keeps me challenged and joyful, and if I keep at it will get me to the finish line on time. The key is to create a pace and schedule that keeps me excited to get up in the morning, and feels ridiculously easy (so I will do it): It's effective but not stressful.

Today I will list specific goals for this week's creative projects and what to complete each day, and also itemize the preparation steps on a check list. My creative projects plan this week:

• 
  Saturday: Coat of Many Earth Colors- Find next motif to sew, iron, pin, choose thread; sew
• Sunday: Thimbleberry motif- Collect pics; draw and color
• Monday: Butterfly hangers- Collect clothespins, pipe cleaners, watercolor paper, pattern; make a sample
• Tuesday: Paint butterflies with Artie
• Wednesday: Collage wings? Sew a cape with Artie.
• Thursday: Thimbleberry motif- Color; scan; place motif in book. Plan the next motif.
• Friday: Place butterfly in neighbor flyer.
• Saturday: Earth stencils!